Madeleine Albright wants to clear something up: She definitely didn’t mean to tell all of the women who aren't supporting Hillary Clinton to go to hell.

In an op-ed titled “Madeleine Albright: My Undiplomatic Moment” posted Friday in The New York Times, the former U.S. Secretary of State addresses critiques of a recent speech she gave in Concord, New Hampshire on Feb. 6.

At the end of a speech endorsing Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, Albright addressed the women in the audience, stating, “You have to help. Hillary Clinton will always be there for you. And, just remember, there’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other.”

The comment was received with a loud round of applause from Hillary supporters. Clinton herself doubled over in laughter after the remark. But not everyone was amused, with critics saying Albright’s message suggested women should vote for Clinton simply because she is also a woman — or else get a free ticket to that "special place in hell."

Great new campaign slogan for Hillary from Madeleine Albright: "Vote for Hillary, or else.....YOU GO TO HELL!"These women are just lovely.

The phrase that sparked the outrage — "there’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other” —is one Albright has used for 25 years, according to the diplomat.

“But this time, to my surprise, it went viral,” she penned in the op-ed

It's the danger of being a high-profile feminist in the age of social media. Small soundbites from one speech or one statement can seemingly damage your entire reputation as a champion for women in an instant. Whether comments are taken out of context or a noted name misspeaks, feminists like Albright are under an intense amount of scrutiny to represent feminism without a misstep at all times.

Just one day before Albright's comments, Gloria Steinem received similar criticism for her statement suggesting young women support Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders because "the boys are with Bernie."

Seriously, @GloriaSteinem, "because the boys are with Bernie"? How about "because young women have a choice & like Bernie"? Shame on you.

Both Albright and Steinem, who are considered feminist trailblazers, probably didn't do much to convince the public that women have political autonomy with their comments. But the heightened attention around each misstep also points to these women being under critical surveillance each time they speak. Many critics, after all, are looking for any chance not to take these women, or their feminist views, seriously.

In a society that doesn't value the voices of women, those who don't champion feminism will often jump at the chance to try and prove these women don't really support other women — even if their work historically has proven otherwise.

In the op-ed, Albright says she still believes in the importance of women helping each other to overcome gender inequality, though she didn’t mean to suggest that women should “support a particular candidate based solely on gender.” Yet, she says, she also understands how her words could have been read to be condemning toward women who disagree with her politics.

“If heaven were open only to those who agreed on politics, I imagine it would be largely unoccupied,” she writes.

In the piece, Albright also emphasizes that gender equality and equal opportunity are still not national realities for women, which is why she encourages women to lift each other up with this particular catchphrase. In a moment of vulnerability, Albright says even she feels “a squirm of anxiety when I interrupt a discussion in a room with only men.”

Yet, sticking to her endorsement of Clinton, Albright writes that having a woman in office would help achieve more strides toward greater equality for women. Calling on the importance of history, Albright says voting for Clinton builds upon the framework women leaders have built — a framework that has made it possible for Clinton to even be considered a candidate for presidential office.

“In a society where women often feel pressured to tear one another down, our saving grace lies in our willingness to lift one another up,” she writes. “And while young women may not want to hear anything more from this aging feminist, I feel it is important to speak to women coming of age at a time when a viable female presidential candidate, once inconceivable, is a reality.”

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